


Dangerous Liaisons

by campbellxliz



Category: The Originals (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-13
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-01-12 19:44:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 12,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18453350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/campbellxliz/pseuds/campbellxliz
Summary: Anna Frog has hunted all kinds of monsters since she could hold a stake. Everything, and I mean everything, begins to change the day she meets Klaus, the Original vampire she can't seem to stop running into and maybe she doesn't want to stop.





	1. Chapter 1

Oregon. 2011

I had been in this shit small town for three days. It shouldn't take this long to track a single vampire, but Dayville seemed intent on keeping me there. I preferred cities, but I couldn't leave until the bloodsucker was dead, even if I wanted to. My father and uncle would never speak to me again. See, hunting was a family business and they taught me everything they knew. But they were merely vampire hunters, famous ones, but vampire hunters. I learned to hunt everything that goes bump in the night. And somehow, these things always found me.

I don't think the vampire had yet noticed that I was hunting him. You would think in a small town like Dayville, gossip about a stranger would be on everyone's lips. Yet there was not one word. He must have compelled people to forget about him. The civilians seemed to have forgotten about the recent string of murders as well. That's why it was taking so long. I had to watch for anything out of the ordinary; maybe a man who never paid for a drink or the town womanizer. Finally, I found him living alone on the outskirts of town. Alone, just as my experience taught me he would be. My only tactical advantage was surprise; that's usually how it was for all monsters. If they weren't stronger, they could see better, smell better, or move faster.

So what is the last thing a vampire expects from a human hunter? A frontal attack. I knocked on his door. "Who are you?" grunted a man with shoulder length black hair and blood staining his chin.

"Anna Frog," I answered promptly. He had compelled me to answer. The vervain in my system prevented me from truly being compelled, but he didn't know that. "Are you Aaron McKay?"

He nodded, eyes twinkling mischievously. "What can I do for you beautiful?"

I fluttered my eyelashes as the stake dropped from inside my sleeve and I shoved it into his chest. The vampires gasped, eyes widening. His had clutched at the stake, but it was too late. He had already began to turn to ash. Once he had disintegrated, I picked up the stake and lifted my shirt to wipe the sweat from my forehead. Vampires were idiots.

Out on my periphery, I noticed a confrontation and instinctively assumed a defensive position. How had I let someone get so close to me without noticing? Carefully, stake at the ready, I stalked over to the two men. When they were within my range of vision, I noticed a body on the ground. He was a bout about my age, early twenties. There was a hole in his chest and his heart laid beside him. The body wasn't disappearing so I was able to deduce that he wasn't a bloodsucker. I looked up as his attacker appeared next to me. His speed gave him away as something more than human. I first noticed his defined cheekbones and full lips, then my eyes traveled up to his blue eyes and blond hair. He wore a dark gray t-shirt with a couple necklaces tucked into his collar. I spent too long observing him. The one second it took me to decide he was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen could have been the one second it took him to kill me.

"I'm sorry, luv," the vampire said. "Was he yours?"

"Who are you?" I demanded when I should have been trying to stake him.

He licked his lips and then smiled slowly. "My name is Klaus."

I backed away as though those two steps would save my life. Original vampires were supposed to be a myth; a ghost story hunters told their children. Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah: the children of the Devil. If rumor were to be believed, Klaus was an impulsive psychopath known for torturing anyone who crossed him, including other vampires.

"Ah, so you've heard of me," he grinned and began licking the blood off of his hand without breaking eye contact.

I shuddered, but it wasn't from fright.

He sped forward pushing me back against a tree. I could feel the rough bark digging into my back, but I dared not move forward. There was only an inch of space between us and his bloodied hand rested on the trunk near my face. "I wonder what you taste like, hunter," he hissed.

"If you're going to kill me, then do it!" I spat.

"I meant between your thighs," he breathed into my ear.

His warm breath tickled my neck and I couldn't help myself. I thought about it and my heart began to pound. Death didn't scare me, I faced it nearly every day in my line of work, but no one ever tried to flirt with a girl with a face tattoo. I didn't know how to react. I would have been more comfortable if he just attacked me.

He must have heard my heart pick up its pace because his upper lip curled into a smirk that would make any girl's heart flutter. "I'll see you soon, hunter," he promised and leaned in as if he were going to kiss me. At the last second he pulled away and disappeared into the woods.

I didn't dare breathe until he was completely out of sight.


	2. Chapter 2

Boston. 2011

It was a ghost that brought me back to Boston. I used to love this city until I realized what a cesspool of cruel spirits it was. It couldn't hold a light to New York, but was still an impossible place to live. I pulled up outside of the apartment building in the South End, armed with rock salt rounds and iron blades. A woman I had helped out a while back had given me this address when she realized shit had been going on that was not natural. I hated ghosts even more than vampires. Ghosts you had to investigate, find out who they were, why they were angry, and where they were buried. Sometimes, they had never been buried and I had to find their fucking childhood doll to burn instead.

I noticed a vampire feeding in the alley, but kept my head down and pretended not to notice. One fight at a time was a good way not to get killed. He dropped the girl and moved toward me. I instinctively drew my knife and turned to meet him. He skidded to a stop right in front of me, like a ship coming out of warp-speed. Once I saw that it was Klaus, I lowered my defenses. I was not about to pick a fight with a creature I knew I couldn't kill. He was just as beautiful to look at as when I first met him; his long sleeve cotton shirt, hanging off his body in all the right places.

"Hello, luv," he grinned. "You know, I'm the only vampire here, so your services aren't required. Well, not the killing ones…"

"There's a ghost that needs to be re-killed in there," I pointed my thumb towards the old building.

He smiled, a false gesture of manners. "You deal with all kinds of supernatural scum? Like witches? You see-"

"I'm not going to be your hitman," I cut him off.

He shrugged and shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants. "Can't blame a bloke for trying, can you?"

"What are you doing here? What do you want from me," I sighed. "I thought you had let me go."

He shook his head. "I let you live. There's a big difference. I would never let someone as beautiful as you go. Especially not without knowing your name."

"Anna Frog," I told him, hoping it would appease him and he would let me go. "Now, Niklaus, can I get back to work?" I let his full name slip out in an attempt to show him I was not a fool; I had done my homework.

His demeanor immediately changed and he snarled at me. His eyes flashed and his fangs protruded from under his lip, but I remained unintimidated.

"How do you know my full name?" He demanded grabbing me by my upper arms. "I let no one call me by it!"

"I just did," I pointed out even though his grip was hurting me. "It's amazing what you can find out with a little bit of research."

He growled and pushed me away with a shove. "You're lucky I have a soft spot for pretty girls."

My heart sank as I watched him walk away. I did mean to upset him, but just enough to show that I wasn't scared of him. I had no idea that he had would be so sensitive about it. "I'm sorry?" I called after him. I punched the side of the building, my knuckles colliding with the brick. I hissed in pain as the skin scraped from my hand. I needed to know what I was feeling. Pain; pain was the proper response to hitting the side of a building and that's exactly what I felt. Calmed down and more in control of myself, I entered the apartment complex, ready to seek out a ghost. "Niklaus," I couldn't help, but mutter. "Niklaus." It was a beautiful name.


	3. Chapter 3

Toronto. 2012

Despite all of my travelling, I did own a small apartment in Canada. The fridge was always empty and I had more weapons than furniture. I slept on a mattress without a frame and in nothing but a tshirt, but I kept a firm grip on the dagger under my pillow.

I sat up in bed, dagger at the ready and realized it must have been the knocking at the door that woke me up. I debated whether I should pretend I wasn't not at home or go and answer it, after all it was two in the morning. I moved as silently as I could towards the front door. Clutch the knife in my hand, I peered through the peephole.

I whipped the door open. Knowing a vampire couldn't enter without an invitation, I would be safe. "How did you find me, Niklaus?"

"It's amazing what you can find out with a little bit of research," he smirked. His eyes ran over my inked legs, lingering on my upper thighs. He bit his lip and knew I was enjoying the attention. "Now invite me in."

"Why would I do that? I'm not suicidal," I scoffed.

"Anna, luv," he sighed. "I could have killed you any time in the past year, but I have not. Now let me in."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Fine. Come in," I said through gritted teeth. I had a feeling he would stand there all night, pestering me until I did give in to his demand.

He ran in and pinned me against the wall, causing me to gasp. "You might want to put some pants on, you're tempting me," he said, looking at my lips.

I wrapped the collar of his shirt in my fingers and pulled him closer. "This is my home. You'll control yourself," I hissed and then ducked out from under his arm, freeing myself. "Now why are you here?"

"I've been looking for someone for centuries who has recently resurfaced," he explained. "I was wondering if you had heard anything."

"A centuries old vampire is very vague," I pointed out. "I'm going to need more than that."

"Katerina Petrova, born 1473, Bulgaria. She's been stateside for at least 150 years now and goes by Katherine Pierce."

The name sounded familiar. In fact, I was pretty sure Uncle Allan had been on her trail for a while. But even more recently I could have sworn someone had telling me about her. "Aw, you're looking for your girlfriend," I teased. I bit my tongue as soon as the words left my mouth, realizing I had gotten too comfortable, too familiar with him.

"She was never my girlfriend," he sneered.

"I need to make a couple calls, but I've heard about her," I back pedaled, trying to placate him.

My first call was to my uncle, asking if he knew who was hunting Kathrine now that he had moved on to other targets. Powerful creatures like her got tagged and followed. You needed to recruit other hunters and devise a real plan to take down old vampires. I watched as Klaus made himself at home and began rifling through my fridge. God, it had been so long since I had gotten laid. He came out with two beers. I was pretty sure they were the only things in there aside from the other four bottles of the six-pack. I couldn't be sure though because I had no idea how long they had been in there. I hung up with Allan and dialed Orin, the hunter he had directed me towards as Klaus opened the bottles with his fangs and handed one to me. I accepted just as Orin answered his end of the phone.

"Wow, Anna, been a while," Orin said.

"I know and sorry to disappoint, but this is a business call," I replied. "You were hunting that vampire Kathrine, right?"

"Yeah, I'm in Santa Monica right now," he answered. "Why? You want in?"

I chuckled. I only went after creatures I knew I could kill. "No, but I know someone who does."

"Well, I'm always down for help."

We hung up and I told Klaus that is Katherine was in Santa Monica although he had probably been eavesdropping on the conversation anyway. "Thank you. How can I repay you?" he asked, gently stroking my arm.

"You can owe me one," I pulled away. "Leave your number."

He stood suddenly and startled me. He leaned towards me the seductive way he always did as if he was going to kiss me or tell me a secret. He did neither: "You already have it," he motioned to the fridge and departed, leaving his half-full bottle.

I looked over to the fridge and scribbled on a scrap of paper, held up by the bottle opener magnet, is a phone number.


	4. Chapter 4

Mystic Falls. 2012

I used Klaus's number for the first time while I was driving through Virginia. I realized after the fact that I should have asked him for the information I needed before beginning the hunt. My stomach turned as the phone rang. I never wanted to use the number. In fact, I would have been content to never see the vampire again. He made me feel all jumbled up inside and I ended up questioning my morals.

"Hello?" the English voice answered.

"Nik? It's Anna," I bit my lip as I waited for a reply.

"Anna, luv, what can I do for you?" I could almost hear him smirking in victory.

"I'm cashing in on that favor you owe me," I explained, trying to squash any immoral ideas he might have. "I'm in Virginia, on my way to Damascus and I need some information."

He chuckled and I grew more nervous. This was a bad idea, trusting a vampire. "Funny thing, darling, I'm also in Virginia. Get to Mystic Falls and I'll tell you anything you want."

"See you soon." I hung up, wondering where on the map Mystic Falls was. I pulled out my map and saw that I had already passed it. I would have to backtrack to get there. I growled as I crumpled it up and threw it in the general direction of the passenger's side. His information better be good.

I arrived closer to midnight, so I booked a motel instead of hunting the original vampire down. I postponed that until noon the next day when I drove into the center of town. I wanted to see the town before I called him. I wanted an exit strategy, but at the moment I had no bearings, no idea where I was.

I spotted him while I was driving down Main Street. He walked into what looked like a sports bar called the Mystic Grill. Clever. I sucked it up and decided to talk to him. I pulled over into a nearby parking spot and grabbed my case file. I spotted him immediately, well I spotted his back. His shirt was stretched across his shoulder blades as he hunched over the bar. I strutted up beside him.

"Guinness," I told the bartender, a young blond boy I was not sure was old enough to be serving alcohol, as I took a seat next to Klaus. "He's buying," I put a hand on the vampire's shoulder.

"Anna," he grinned and kissed my cheek. "Don't you look ravishing?"

"Here," I brushed him off and slide him the file.

He began flipping through the crime scene photos of emaciated bodies. "What's this?" he asked.

"I was hoping you could tell me. I've never seen anything like it before," I admitted, studying the photos again, looking over his shoulder. He smelled so good. I thought vampires were supposed to smell like death.

"I can find out, but it's going to take more than two phone calls," he replied, grinning mischievously.

"What do you want?" I found myself asking.

"There's a ball tonight at my place. 7 o'clock."

I laughed so hard I nearly fell off the stool until I realized he wasn't laughing. He was dead serious about me going. "No," I stood up. "No way in hell."

"If you're denying me because you have nothing to wear, there's a dress waiting for you at that sleazy motel," he called after me as I left the bar.

I turned around just long enough to reply. "Oh my god! I don't want to know how!"

The motel manager did indeed have a box for me. Inside was a gown and a small card with his address printed on it. I had to try the dress on. I loved dresses, but I didn't get to wear them because they restricted my movement too much. It was a strapless gown with a corseted top and a skirt with about five layers of tulle. Normally, I wore shirts that would cover most of my tattoos, except of course for the ones on my neck and chin, but in this gown you could see the runes and glyphs that spread across my chest and back, over my shoulders and down my arms. It was beautiful. I looked beautiful- and ridiculous.

His house was not difficult to find. It was the biggest in the town, maybe even the state. It wasn't so much a mansion as a manor house. I pulled up in my Jeep Rubicon, towering over the other party-goers and their rides, earning me several stares. Just the sound of the engine announced my arrival. I was greeted by a valet and although I handed him my keys it still took several minutes before I could enter the party.

"I can park it myself," I offered.

"No, no," the dweeby boy said. "Tom drives stick. He'll be back in a minute. You'd have to walk all the way back. Just wait. Tom drives stick."

I sighed and stood tapping my foot, wondering if Klaus realized I was here yet. When I finally got inside, I was greeted by him nearly immediately. "You came," he grinned, but raised his eyebrows at my dress.

It was black silk with a slit nearly all the way up the side and it had one strap that went over my left shoulder, just enough to keep it up without the help of my boobs. It took a while to find, but it was the only dress for me. It allowed me access to the knives strapped to my calf and thigh, but I was more under armed than I was comfortable with for entering the house of a family of vampires.

"I don't know if you were drunk or high thinking I would show up in something I couldn't fight in," I told him.

His upper lip twitched. "One can hope. Let me introduce you to my family."

I was presented to Elijah first. He frowned as he shook my hand, but did not make any rude remark, disapproving of my presence like I had expected. Finn, the eldest, came next. "Pleasure," he kissed the top of my hand stiffly and only because it was expected of him.

Klaus's only sister, Rebekah insisted on introducing herself next. "You are far too pretty to be here with him," she said referring to Klaus.

"It's only a favor," I assured her that I wasn't actually attached to him.

Kol shooed away his sister to shake my hand enthusiastically. "Ah, darling, it's a wonderful pleasure to meet a hunter!" he declared. "It takes guts to come to a vampire ball. It's lovely to meet such a brave girl."

"That's enough, Kol," Klaus pried my hand away from his brother and taking it in his own, guided me away from his siblings.

"They seem like nice people," I said, letting the sarcasm ring in every word.

He chuckled. "Come, Elijah is going to make a toast and then we must dance."

I wrinkled my nose. "I never agreed to dancing."

"You're at a ball, Anna, what did you expect?" he laughed at me.

I shrugged, but followed him into the foyer where he ascended the stairs to stand alongside his family.

Klaus and I moved together in a waltz, appropriately close for the occasion. I wasn't afraid and let myself enjoy the feeling of his hand on my lower back and my hand in his.

"You have more tattoos than I originally thought," he commented. He had obviously seen the ones on my legs last time we met, but now the ones covering the upper half of my body were exposed.

"They're for protection against magic and demons," I explained.

"And the one on your chin?" he pried.

I smiled at the memory of that one. "It's from a native tribe. There was a demon possession on their rez. It's very important to them. This way the ancestors will recognize me and welcome me into heaven when I die. It keeps my soul from getting lost."

Klaus twirled me around on the beat change and despite my lack of dancing experience, I landed safely back in his arms.

"Did you look into my problem in Damascus?" I asked. "Women are dropping like flies."

"It's a Gancanagh, a type of fey," he told me. "The people are addicted to him and when they don't get enough attention they wither and then commit suicide."

"And how do I kill it?" I pose my most important question.

He shook his head. "If I tell you now you will bolt before the end of the party."

"I, Anna, do so swear, that I will not dip out early from Niklaus's ball before the end of the night," I said, smiling as he chuckled.

"A blessed Rowan stake," he answered as the song ended.


	5. Chapter 5

Toronto. 2013

I cuddled into him, resting my head on his bare chest. His arm was around my waist, holding onto me tightly and the other reached across his body, drawing circles on my shoulder. His body, his arm against mine; I decided that I didn't need to follow up on a demon lead because everything I needed was right here. I looked up, intending to kiss him and saw the man I was holding onto was Klaus. There was blood on his chin. I screamed and jumped back out of bed, putting a hand to my neck. My fingers came away covered in blood.

"You were delicious, luv," he smirked at me.

I screamed again and sat up in bed, knife held out in front of me. I was alone and my neck was fine. I told myself it was okay because it was just a dream. But it wasn't just a dream; it felt so real.

I dialed the vampire up, pissed. My dreams were supposed to be my time away from monsters. I felt violated like he had invaded my privacy.

"Ah, luv, I was wondering when I was going to hear from you," he answered.

"Stay the fuck out of my head!" I yelled.

"I'm not in your head, sweetheart, I'm in New Orleans," he chuckled. "Just moved here actually and it's been quite good to me. Especially since I'm half werewolf again. You should visit. I'd love to see your pretty face, maybe any other tattoos you've got hiding."

"I don't want to visit you, I want to sleep in peace," I growled.

"Well that seems like a personal issue," he said and I could hear his smug smile in his voice. It only made me angrier. "We were having sex in your dream?"

I punched the wall since I couldn't punch him. I didn't know what I expected, calling him in the middle of the night. "That sounds more like your dream," I sneered, trying to recover.

I heard another voice on his end of the line, but knew better than to ask about something that wasn't my business. "Listen, luv, I've got to go, but if you don't want me in your head, maybe you shouldn't call me at two in the morning, but don't let that stop you from keeping in touch."

My frustration boiled inside of me, but he spoke again before I could get a word out.

"I'll see you soon, Anna, darling," he promised before hanging up.

I calmed down when he was no longer on the line. Calling him accomplished nothing. In fact, I was sure I only made things worse. There was no way I could sleep now. Even looking at my mattress made me cringe. My subconscious had let him feed on me in my own bed, crossing a line that was way past sleeping with him. I grabbed my keys and hoodie and shimmied into some pants before heading out. There had to be some monster murdering an oblivious human somewhere.


	6. Chapter 6

Kraemer. 2014

"Driving. Not a good time," I answered my cellphone only to shut it up after it rang for the third time.

"I think my problem is a little more important than your fear of being pulled over by a cop," responded the sardonic English voice. "You see, your cop will be human, most likely, but I'm dealing with witches."

I sighed. What had he been up to? "If you're still in New Orleans, I'll help out. I'm in Kraemer dealing with a Windigo, but I'm not driving across the country for a guy I haven't spoken to in a year."

"Sorry, luv, I've had family things. I'll tell you everything when you get here. Go kill the cannibalistic fucker so we can be killers together," he laughed.

"Let's get one thing straight. I might be a killer, but I'm a vigilante; you're just a serial murderer," I retorted.

He laughed again, letting me have the one small victory before hanging up.

Windigos aren't hard to track, only hard to kill. Standing alone in the forest, I found myself wishing for a partner. The thing could eat me and no one would know. No, I shook my head. I can't think thoughts like that, they will gnaw away at me and create a weak spot.

It came for me like I knew it would. It was hard to not stand defensively, to look vulnerable. It took my feet out from under me before I even saw it and I scrambled back to my feet before it came at me again. This time when it charged, I was able to cut it. It yelped, but took a chunk out of my shoulder as well. I tried to ignore the blood, but I could feel it seeping through my shirt. I was able to land a few more blows, before realizing I was severely outmatched. I was growing tired, but the creature didn't seem to be slowing down. Before panic could set in, I made a determined leap at it, intending to take it with me. My knife went through its head, under its chin and up into the brain. It fell back and before I could enjoy my victory, everything went cold. Its talons had ripped through my abdomen and I was losing blood, fast. I stumbled backwards, holding onto my wound as though that would stop the bleeding. I knew I was a goner when black spots started clouding my vision. They cleared for a moment and I saw blue in front of me. It took another moment to realize I was on the ground and that blue was the sky. I didn't want to die. I began to hyperventilate, panicking because there was nothing I could do, I couldn't even stand. No one was even going to know that I died. Klaus's face appeared above me. I didn't know what was going on in my subconscious, but I thanked it for giving me a better vision than one of blood.

"No! No! No!" he cried.

I tried to tell him not to worry, but blood bubbled up in my mouth and I began to choke, throwing myself into a coughing fit.

Hallucination Klaus offered me his hand which was bleeding profusely.

I shook my head. I was dying and would die human.

"Drink," he commanded.

Against my will, my mouth opened and I put my lips to his skin.


	7. Chapter 7

New Orleans. 2014

I woke up and my body didn't hurt. I couldn't feel the stiffness of dried blood on my shoulder or abdomen. It didn't hurt to breathe. I looked to my side and saw Klaus. Those eyes. I remembered everything.

"You asshole!" I shouted. "What the fuck is wrong with you? You compelled me to drink your blood?"

"You wouldn't have drank it if I left the choice up to you," he answered calmly.

I moved to stand from the bed, quicker than I had ever moved in my life. I tried to hit him, but I stumbled, surprised by my own speed and strength, and he grabbed my wrists. "Of course not!" I kept struggling. "I've hunted vampires, monsters, all my life. Now I am one?"

He didn't reply, only slide a ring onto my finger. "That is a daylight ring, never take it off. I had it made while you were asleep."

"Dead," I corrected and then asked: "Why?" I wasn't sure if I was questioning God, or just asking myself the question.

Klaus smirked, but it didn't seem genuine. "Come on, luv? You haven't figured it out? Come. You have to feed to complete the transition."

I shook my head. "Then I'll die like I was supposed to." As the words left my mouth, I felt them fall flat. I didn't want to die; it was scary enough the first time, but I was not going to kill humans after protecting them for so many years.

"I'll bring you the blood," he offered, knowing my thoughts. "But promise me you'll stay here."

"No human blood," I said. "Niklaus, promise me, you will not kill anyone," I repeated when he didn't respond. "Promise me it'll be animal blood."

He nodded and left me alone in the strange room.

I sat back on the bed. The mattress was extremely squishy and I considered going back to sleep, but I wanted to use this opportunity to snoop. He seemed to own a lot of books, old books, but nothing useful. There was a first edition of The Count of Monte Cristo and a signed copy of Dorian Gray. They were interesting and I was jealous, but there was nothing informative like I was hoping for. Across his desk were notebooks and drawing supplies. Sketches on loose pieces of paper littered the space. His renderings of people were highly realistic and I picked one up. My eye is drawn first to the tattoos and it caused me to think that it's a drawing of myself. Upon closer inspection I realized that it actually was me. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed by the brightness of the room. It was loud, too. Cars rushing by and a thousand voices. I yelped, clapping my hands over my ears and sank to the ground. But that left me vulnerable to all the smells of the city: sweat, beer, shit, dogs, cum, sage, meat, gasoline. It was awful.

"Hey, hey." Someone was tugging on my wrists, removing my hands from my ears.

I hadn't realized my eyes were closed until I opened them to see Klaus. "No," I whimpered, shaking my head. "It's too loud."

"It's okay, luv," he said. "Focus on my voice. Just my voice."

I watched his lips as he spoke and all the other sounds faded away. I did the same thing to block out the city smell, focusing on just his scent.

"Better?" he asked gently and I nodded, biting back tears. "It'll get easier." His eyes landed on the piece of paper that had floated to the floor next to me. "It's not finished yet," he commented, picking it up and rubbing the negative space gently with his thumb. "I couldn't remember all of your tattoos."

"It's really good," I told him as the smell of blood began to overwhelm me. On the desk sat a glass filled with the dark liquid.

He followed my gaze and brought it over to me. "You need this."

"You're not going to compel me to drink it?" I sneered, not sure where the anger came from.

"I'm sensing some hostility, luv. You need that blood. I don't need to compel you," he explained. "I promise I will never compel you again. You have my word."

I accepted the glass and began drinking it slowly. The small sips soon turned into chugging. When the glass was empty a second later, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. I felt strong, better than I ever have before, but then it hit me; I had just drank blood. My stomach churns and I put a hand to my mouth, thinking I might vomit, but it soon passes.

"Full-fledged vampire," Klaus grinned at me. "Come. There are people I need you to meet."


	8. Chapter 8

The house was set up like army barracks, but on a smaller scale. We exited the room and appeared on a balcony that ran the perimeter of the house. On the first floor was an open courtyard decorated with patio furniture and doors lining it, parallel to the ones on the balcony.

"I am the King of New Orleans, sweetheart, and this compound, my castle," he guided me towards his brother Elijah and a dark-haired girl. "Anna, I would like you to meet Hayley," he presented her and while keeping a hand on my lower back and whispering in my ear. The words are barely audible, no louder than a breath and had I still been human, I would have heard nothing. "She is the mother of my child and engaged to the werewolves' alpha. Only my family knows that they are alive," he warned me.

I shook her hand politely, but inwardly ground my teeth.

"It's nice to see you again," Elijah said emotionlessly. "Klaus, may I have a word?"

"It must be strange, your first day as a vampire," Hayley tried to make small talk. "They say all your emotions are heightened."

I shook my head. "I've always been pretty temperate in my emotions, I don't like this feeling."

She laughed. "Clearly you had some emotions because they're coming out now."

I looked around the compound. There are several other vampires in the corners. I needed to get out of here. I assessed the number of creatures and exit points. They are all older and stronger than me, but I was able to best plenty of vampires as a human. Before I could make a move, Klaus returns to my side and excuses us.

"Why did you tell me a secret like that?" I asked, referring to his child. I'm not even sure how he could have a child, but that was the least of my problems. Being a blood-sucking beast trumped anything else at the moment.

"Because if I keep secrets from you, you won't trust me and then you'll leave," he explained. "I know how to get what I want, darling. Mostly it involves my power or threats of violence to keep people loyal to me. But you will not put up with anything less than honesty. You're different; you've never been afraid of me."

"I don't want to be here," I told him.

"You don't really have a choice, sweetheart. You still need to help me with my witch problem," he winked.

"And here I was beginning to think that you saved me because you liked me," I sighed.

"Never said I didn't," he smirked. He guided me back upstairs where we could speak in private.

We entered a sort of drawing room. I wasn't sure what all the different rooms should be called, my best guest was from books and movies. I'd never been in a house with more than six rooms and couldn't imagine what else there was other than a dining room and a living room. Klaus poured us drinks and immediately the smell of alcohol burned my nostrils. I crinkled up my nose and took a step back.

"You'll get used to it, luv," he handed me a glass.

I took it, but didn't drink. "Not sure if I want to," I mumbled. "So what is this witch problem anyway?"

"My sister is in some witch's body somewhere in the city. I cannot trust Kol even more so now that he's a witch again. Finn, also now a witch, is sure to be after us imminently after what I've done to our mother. Along with my Aunt Dahlia, a ghost story which now might be true. She'll want to steal Hope," Klaus explained.

I scoffed. "That sounds less like a problem and more like you're royally fucked. What do you want me to do about it?"

"You said your tattoos protect you against magic, right?" he said.

"Yeah?" I had no idea where he was going with this. "But they can still use magic on anything else to use against me."

"Well you're a vampire now; you should be fine," he smirked at me. "I want them dead."

"That's quite the laundry list you have for me," I commented, not fully intending on following through. I put my lips to the rim of the glass just because I was uncomfortable and looking for something to do.

"I'm not going to leave you to do it alone." Klaus took a couple steps forward, closing the space between us. "I look forward to working with you, Anna," he breathed and my own breath caught in my throat.


	9. Chapter 9

I studied the tall kid in front of me. This wasn't Kol. Not the Kol I had met and Klaus's mansion and yet by the way he smirked at me, I knew it was him. I stood awkwardly between him and Klaus, completely unsure of where this was going. Apparently Kol was going to be helping, but I was more focused on the dozens of creatures pouring into the compound downstairs. There were wolves and vampires; I could smell the wolves and I was focused on limiting my senses how Klaus had taught me.

Another man entered the room, distracting me from watching Klaus make peace with Kol. This man was tall like the others, black with short hair, and well dressed. With a flick of his wrist, the bottle Klaus had given to Kol smashed. I growled defensively, but the man paid me no mind.

"Where is she?" he demanded.

"Finn, please join us," Klaus greeted sarcastically and at the same time subtly pointed out this was the brother Finn he was at odds with. "My, my, you look peaky. Doesn't he look peaky?"

"He does look peaky," Kol agreed.

"Are you feeling alright?" Klaus asked.

I bit my lip to keep from giggling. I had never seen the brothers interact like this before. The casual ease that Kol and Klaus teamed up with and their blasé disregard for Finn, their sarcasm- it was hysterical.

"Don't make me ask again," Finn sneered.

I looked at Klaus, wondering what he wanted from me. He nodded at me so I rushed the man and pinned him against the wall by his neck. He tried to push me away using magic, but my body didn't budge. "That's cute," I smirked and squeezed harder.

"I assume you're referring to our mother," Klaus said. "Fear not. She's tucked away somewhere perfectly safe. You'll never find her. Let him go."

I did as I was told and dropped Finn.

"You think you've won," he said, rubbing his sore neck. "Let's see how long that arrogance lasts, brother." He turned his back on us.

I followed to see where he was going, standing on the balcony while he walked through the creatures in the courtyard. He was speaking, but I had been so focused on tuning out the lower level earlier, I could not easily hear him. I watched as he pressed to of his fingers together and then pressed his hand to the wall as he backed through the entryway. The house shook and I held onto the railing in front of me as though my life depended on it. When the ground once again felt stable I returned to the room with Kol and Klaus.

"Did he really just trap us all in here?" Kol asked.

"He certainly did," Klaus grimaced.

"You should have let me kill him," I said.

Klaus shook his head. "I only wanted you to test your tattoos."

I leapt at him; suddenly entirely consumed with anger. He didn't know that I wasn't going to get hurt.

Klaus effortlessly constrained me, stopping my attack. "Easy now," he breathed as he brushed my bangs back from my face. "I'd avenge you."

"You complete ass!" I growled and pulled away from him.

"So when did you two get together?" Kol asked.

"We're not!" I snarled at him.

Klaus smirked at me and I wanted to tear out his throat. "It's only a matter of time, luv."

I didn't try to attack him, not wanting to antagonize him further. "So what do we do about the barrier?" I changed the subject.

"Do me a favor, Anna, try to put your hand out the window," Klaus said. "I want to know if this affects you."

"Of course it does. He didn't magic us, he magicked the house," I grumbled, but put my hand to the window anyway. As I reached the barrier, my palm started to burn. I yelped at pulled it back.

Klaus ran forward to inspect the damage, but it was already healing. "You're a witch, Kol," Klaus said and realized my hand, satisfied that I was alright. "Fix it."

"And what the bloody hell do you want me to do about it?" Kol sighed.

Klaus turned on him. It was terrifying to see him threaten the brother who he had just been joking with without changing the tone of his voice. "Well considering the crowd, you'll be more motivated to find a solution. After all, I can easily outwait our brother's antics. You, on the other hand, might look appetizing to some of our fellow prisoners.

Kol eyed me warily. "I'm gonna need some help."

Kol left the room to call his help and Klaus spotted Hayley on the balcony so he went to speak with her.

I gulped. I didn't want to accidentally kill anyone. I wished that I was still human; this would be so much easier. Not to mention that Klaus was right; it was only a matter of time. I already began to feel sympathetic towards him and even before now, all of our interactions were flirtatious. I felt torn between what I had been taught and practiced my entire life and what I was currently experiencing. I wanted to kill and be powerful. Everything Klaus told me about being a vampire made perfect sense. I wasn't a monster, only higher up on the food chain. But the other half of me didn't want to embrace my new powers. The other part of me felt disgusted with myself for becoming a monster.

The house tensed around me. I stood and ran to the balcony to see what was happening. Klaus was in the courtyard now, among the vampires and wolves. Kol was in the entry way, reciting an incantation with another witch. Kol was jolted back from the barrier. I could tell by his grimace that it hadn't worked.

My stomach sank; I could feel my craving for blood return. My throat was dry and itchy. I moved back into the room to try and compose myself. Klaus appeared in the doorway.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm getting hungry," I admitted.

He smiled gently. "I forgot how often young vampires feed. Come here."

I did as I was told and he met me halfway. He pulled up the sleeve of his cotton tshirt and offered me his wrist. I shook my head. I didn't want to take blood from him.

"You'll need it. We're not getting out of here anytime soon," he said and with his other hand reached out to pull me towards him.

I grabbed his forearm with both my hands, but hesitated before biting. Klaus moved his other hand onto my back and urged me on. I sank my fangs into his wrist and the blood immediately began pouring from him. It tasted better than the animal blood I had been drinking. In fact it was the best thing I had ever tasted. I allowed myself to get lost in the sweetness and the warmth until I heard his voice calling me back. Embarrassed, I dropped his arm and used the back of my hand to wipe the blood off my chin.

"Better?" he asked.

I nodded, not wanting to look him in the eye.

"Anna." He put a finger under my chin, pushing my head up until I looked at him.

Our eyes connected and my words stuck in my throat. Thankfully, though, his seemed to as well. His cell phone rang; shattering the connection. He answered his phone, no longer looking at me, but not releasing me either.

"Elijah," he said. "I trust everything is well."

"Rebekah's gone," I heard the voice clearly through the phone.

"What do you mean she's gone?" Klaus hissed and stormed from the room.

I followed him at what I thought was a safe distance. I spotted Kol on the other side of the hallway who was also eavesdropping, apparently. He put a finger to his lips telling me to stay quiet.

"Stay where you are," Klaus ordered. "I'll handle it."

"Everything alright?" Kol asked.

"It will be," Klaus told him. "Provided you found a solution to this little quandary of ours."

"Well, I might have," Kol said. "I'm not sure you're gonna like it though."

"I'm not sure we have a choice," Klaus pointed out walked past Kol towards me. He put his arm over my shoulders, formally involving me in the conversation. "What is it?"

"There are things that we need from the lycée which means we need it clear of Finn," Kol explained. "There's only one thing that will distract him for long enough."

"What's that?" Klaus asked. I could feel him growing impatient next to me.

"If you tell him where to find our mother."

Klaus huffed. That was not the solution he had been hoping for.

Suddenly I felt as though I were starving. Which I couldn't have been because I had just drank Klaus's blood minutes ago. Still, my throat was dry and with each of Kol's heartbeats, I wanted to tear him apart. With the hunger came weakness and my knees gave out. I clutch Klaus's arm and he held me up. "Niklaus," I said. I felt like crying.

"What's wrong?" he demanded.

"I've never felt hunger like this before. I feel like I'm going to faint." As I spoke the room swam in front of me.

Klaus swept me up. "You just fed. This doesn't make any sense." He ran through the house, carrying me bridal style, and burst into the room with three vampires I hadn't been introduced to. "Why do all the vampires seem to think it's lunchtime?" he asked.

"I don't know," the one with a shaved head answered. He seemed to be suffering the least aside from Klaus so I assumed he was the oldest.

"It's like supersize hungry," said the younger male. "And there's an all you can eat werewolf buffet right through those doors."

Klaus turned to me. "Why is Finn's magic affecting you now?" he asked.

"He must be cursing the house," I whimpered and buried my face in his neck. I wanted him because I needed him and the last thing I ever wanted was to need him.

He sets me down in one of the chairs and orders the oldest to look out for me before leaving the room, holding his phone.

"I'm Marcel," said the one Klaus had spoken to. "That's Josh and Gia," he pointed out the boy and the girl. "I don't think we've met."

"We haven't," I snarled. I hated that phrase. We haven't met so you're not going to offend me, why bother being polite? "I'm Anna."

"You're a young vampire," he commented. "You're affected the worse out of anyone."

I didn't respond. I crossed my arms over my chest and waited for Klaus to get back.

He kept talking, though. "How do you know Klaus?"

I wanted to tell him that if I wasn't hungry I'd drive a stake right through his heart. I killed killers. I remained silent though, biting my tongue. I didn't know any of the vampires in the room and wasn't about to try my luck by trusting them. I continued to scowl while Marcel ordered Josh and Gia to look after things in the courtyard. Finally, Klaus returned with Kol.

"Talkative friend you've got here," Marcel commented.

"Yes, she hates vampires," Klaus grinned.

"Well, things are getting testy out there. Come on, we better move this along," Marcel said and dismissed Klaus's comment.

"Vincent's boundary's too strong, but what Davina and I can do is cast a disruption spell. It would temporarily neutralize all magical objects, including the compound itself," Kol said. "If it works then it will give us sixty seconds to escape whilst the boundary is shut down."

"Alright, that sounds good to me," Marcel readily agreed to the plan.

"That's all magical objects," I pointed out. "Our rings won't work. We'll be incinerated."

"Unless you wait until nightfall," Klaus suggested.

"I'm going to kill someone if I have to wait until nightfall," I told him. I barely lasted the first hour.

The vampires considered my point. "So the werewolves leave," Marcel decided.

Kol left to lay the spell with Davina and Marcel joined his vampire ranks. I could tell that he was scheming, but I couldn't help myself from interrupting.

"Niklaus. We need to fix this," I said.

"I know, Anna, you'll be alright," he replied.

"No!" I growled and found the strength to stand. "I can't rely on you all the time. Right now I need you and it's eating away at me. I can't spend eternity relying on someone else! You tell me when to kill. When not to kill. You bring me food and carry me around the house. It's bullshit!"

"Anna, darling, I get that you're upset, but this is just one incident. You've only been here a few days," he tried calming me, but it had no effect.

"Don't patronize me! Whatever this is; it's wrong," I said. This referring to the dynamic of me and him.

He looked at me with what I thought was confusion. "Friends help each other," he said simply.

"That's what we are?" I scoffed. "Friends?"

In less than a second he had closed the space between us and crashed his lips into mine. He wrapped his arms around my waist as he ran his tongue across my bottom lip. I expected him to be coarse and rough, but his lips were soft and even with his tongue between my teeth he was gentle. Startled at myself, I pulled away. I kept my hands on his arms, not wanting him to leave completely when a fight in the courtyard broke out. Someone had gotten cut because I could smell the blood. Instinct took over and I moved to leave the room. As I swerved around Klaus, he held me back.

"Stay here," he whispered in my ear. "Kol's about to do the spell. I'm going to leave with the wolves. But I'll come back to you, I promise. I need you to watch out for Kol. I don't want him dead, not yet, but he needs to pay for betraying Rebekah."

"Got it." I held onto him for a second longer before letting him disappear. When he was out of my sight and cursed and mentally slapped myself. What had just happened? He kissed me and I liked it. Liking it wasn't surprising, but the fact that I wasn't morally opposed to it was. I waited and listened for a cue that it was safe to go outside. Klaus had stopped shouting so I took a peak at the courtyard. Kol was bleeding from his forehead and the vampires were advancing. I ran towards him, grabbed his hand, and dragged him upstairs where I threw him into the room. "You'll be safest in there," I said. "Barricade yourself in."

Kol did as I told him while I sat on the balcony with my back against the door. I sighed. We still had hours until nightfall and even then the barrier might not be broken. Minutes dragged on in painful silence.

"Kol?" I called through the door.

"Yes, little hunter?" he responded.

"Are there any books in there?" I asked.

There was a moment of shuffling around and then a "yes" floated across the doorway.

"Can you read to me?"

Kol chuckled. I could hear him sit down and open the book. Then he began to read.


	10. Chapter 10

"The studio was filled with the rich odor of roses," he began.

I recognized Dorian Gray immediately because it was my favorite. However I shushed him before he was even able to finish the first page. "Marcel? Was that Klaus?" I asked, still surprised that I was able to hear him without effort.

"Yes. Hang in there. He's promised to get us out," he responded.

I whimpered and Kol began again: "In the centre of the room clasped to an upright easel…" It wasn't distracting enough. I hadn't yet mastered controlling my hunger.  
Marcel returned and looked at me and how I was sitting on the floor, clearly in pain. "Hey, kid, it's not working." He knocked on the door and Kol stopped reading. "Come on." He took my hand and guided me back into Klaus's room.

"What's this?" I asked.

Marcel didn't answer. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me from behind and his arms placing me in a chokehold. Before I could complain or fight back, there was a sickening snap and my vision went black.

When I woke up, I was for the first time glad to be a vampire; no headache, no nausea, no hangover. I noticed I was in a bed that I most definitely did not pass out in, with my face pressed against someone's chest and a hand stroking my hair.

"Well, look who's awake," Klaus chuckled.

"Niklaus," I sighed. "What happened?"

"Marcel broke your neck. I'll admit I was unfathomably angry with him for hurting you, but he was just concerned about you controlling your hunger," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"Hungry," I whimpered like a small child.

Klaus pressed his wrist to my lips and I took a bite. "I'm sorry I haven't been around to take care of you. I know this isn't easy."

He had to pull his wrist away from me and I blushed, embarrassed that I had lost myself in his blood. I jumped off the bed when I realized bloodlust wasn't the only thing I was feeling.

Klaus was just as quick, though. He had me pinned against the wall and he was nuzzling my neck. "Why do you fight it?" he breathed, his hot breath against my neck. "I want you. You want me. What's wrong?"

I knew what was wrong. He made me feel powerless and I hated it. But before I could form an answer his lips were on mine and I was kissing back with equal vigor. I knotted my hands in his hair and he picked me up, carrying me back to the bed. He lay on top of me, hands wandering as his lips trailed my jaw and down my neck. "Wait." I pushed him away.

"What!" he growled.

"You just had a kid… with another woman."

He scoffed. "So what?"

"So?" I raised my eyebrows and sat up, away from him. "The fact that you don't think it's a problem, is the problem."

"It was one night. It didn't mean anything," he explained. "We didn't think I could get her pregnant."

"Nik," I sighed. "It was a one night stand, but it was only a year ago. You were already relentlessly flirting with me by then. How am I supposed to feel about this? I'm not here to be a temporary fix; to just fill whatever current need you have."

Klaus picked himself off the bed. "Yes, because evil Klaus uses people. He doesn't have real feelings."

"I didn't say that." I whispered.

"You didn't have to!" he snarled and ran from the room.

I groaned. "Nik!" I shouted and ran after him. When I made it to the courtyard, Elijah confirmed that Klaus had already left the premises – and he seemed pissed. "Oh, I fucked up," I whined and sank to the floor.

He frowned, looking down at me. "Niklaus has always been prone to tantrums. I wouldn't dwell on it, little one."

I shook my head and despite my best efforts, the tears began to flow. "No, Elijah, I really upset him."

His sight was clearly one of pity. "Alright little one, I will help you find him if you think that is what's best."

"Thank you, Elijah," I sniffed.

I looked up at the sign that named the bar as Rousseau's. "Are you sure he's here?"

"I'm sure." Elijah opened the door, revealing Klaus, the only patron in the bar, downing shots.

"Niklaus," I breathed and with a smile and entered.

He smiled too and I thought all was forgiven, but as quick as the smile appeared, it was gone. "So you push me way to run into the arms of my brother," he sneered.

"What? No! How much have you had to drink?" I gasped.

Klaus laughed. "We're vampires, luv. It'd take half this bar to get me drunk."

"Right…" I blushed, embarrassed. I was still learning, okay? "Well, Elijah kindly agreed to help me find you. So, can we talk?"

"Go on."

"Alone?" I hissed, my face turning even redder.

Klaus smirked. "Camille, would you mind giving us some space?"

With an exasperated sigh, she threw her hands up, dropping the bar rag. "Alright, Elijah, I guess we're going for a walk."

"I guess we are," Elijah smiled to himself.

When they had left, I planted myself on a stool next to Klaus and reached over the bar where Camille had left the bottle she had been pouring from. Then, I reached up and pulled a glass from the rack above our heads. I had yet to have a chance to drink properly since I turned and now seemed like the best possible time to imbibe. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Nik."

He scoffed. "You assumed the worst of me."

"I – I was scared of getting hurt," I mumbled.

"I would never hurt you, Anna."

I frowned. "I trust you, Nik, I do. I mean, you saved my life. But I don't actually know you that well. You come across as an incorrigible flirt, not a long-term relationship, guy. You can understand why I was being cautious. I don't want to get involved if it's not serious; if it's not long-term. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just got scared," I reiterated. "Anything I assumed about you, wasn't because you're 'Klaus the evil Hybrid Original.'

"No?" he scoffed. "Then why did you draw such conclusions about me?"

"Because you're a man," I admitted. "Because you're a man who got a girl pregnant from a hookup that happened within a year and she is still in your life!"

Klaus sighed and squeezed my hand. "It's different with you. I promise."

I nodded, slowly. "Can we make a deal?"

"Alright. What did you have in mind?"

"I'll stop assuming things about you and you stop shouting and storming off when I accidentally say something wrong," I said.

"Can we go home and pick up where we left off?" he smirked.

I don' know if vampires blush; the lack of blood flow and all, but it sure felt like I was. "Yeah, yeah we can."


	11. Chapter 11

I woke up to an empty bed, in a room different than the one allotted to me, and stark naked under a silk sheet. Frowning, I got out of bed and threw on a shirt that had been discarded on the floor. It smelled strongly of Klaus; it was comforting, but I tried not to dwell on it. I ran to my room where I could dress properly and then sped down to the communal areas of the house, looking for him. He was in his studio, staring into nothing. He hadn't even bothered to place a new canvas on his easel to pretend.

"You know, it's kinda shitty to fuck someone and then wake up to an empty bed," I said.

"Sorry, luv," he reached out and pulled me closer by my waist.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked, nuzzling into his neck.

His response was only to kiss my temple and run his hand over my back.

"How are you okay with Hayley being out in the sticks with… you know…"

Klaus growled. "Why do you think I'm awake? Don't forget my sister, Rebekah, is still missing."

I frowned. "You never slept? When was the last time you did?"

"I don't know any more," he said and pulled me in closer. He planted a kiss on my neck and my mind began to wander away from his affections.

There was a burning in the back of my throat and before I could do anything about it, my fangs appeared. "I'm sorry!" I squealed and jumped back.

He put a hand on each hip and pulled me back to him. "It's okay. Go ahead."

"No, Nik, I can heat up some of the blood in the fridge," I protested, but Klaus shook his head.

"Drink from me, sweetheart."

At his command, I latched onto his neck. His blood filled my mouth and I swallowed, greedily. I tried to pull him closer, though it was possible and ground my hips against his, causing him to groan.

"Ew. You two need to get a room," a woman's voice rang out and I jumped away from Klaus, hastily wiping my mouth. "Seriously, Nik?" She sat herself down while maintaining a commanding presence of the room. "I thought I had a hell of a week, being trapped inside a loony, magic asylum. But here you are with the hunter? I clearly missed a lot."

"Rebekah!" Klaus sighed and grinned. "Thank the gods, you're back. You're okay."

"Yeah, but I'm not the only one," she said. "Do you remember our sister Freyja?"

I tried to keep up with the conversation, but was actually terribly lost from the moment I realized there was another of them. Though this one was apparently a witch and by my count, the witch Mikaelssons now outnumbered the vampire ones: four against two.

After Kol had appeared and pled for help, Klaus agreed to help him in turn and now he was setting up a spell with the help of Rebekah at a small table.

Klaus and I stood only a few feet away while he held my hand. "I'm gonna need your help with my family, luv."

"Is this the actual witch problem I was initially brought in for?" I smiled.

"Actually, that was my mother," he sighed. "But it doesn't matter anymore. I just hope you will help me because you like me. Now, tomorrow, next year. We'll take care of each other from now on, yes? No more deals and favors… we face things together."

I squeezed his hand. "You didn't get me killed, Nik, I did that to myself."

"But I could have been there!" he growled. "I could have protected you! I should have!"

"You kept me above ground," I said. "And don't tell anyone, but I am grateful."

"Will you two stop being disgusting and get over here?" Kol called.

Klaus pulled me over to them and sat me next to Rebekah. "Do you remember the spell Finn used to lock you in that body? We'll do the same to him."

"I was a bit distracted by the thoughts of murder," Kol answered.

Klaus shrugged. "No matter. I can pull it from your mind."

"No! No way!" Kol stood and backed away. "Nobody goes in my head, but me."

With a sigh, Klaus reached up and grabbed Kol's head, but immediately dropped him. "Get out!" he shouted. "Get out. You come here asking for my help? How dare you get! Get out! You can rot in Hell for all I care!"

"Niklaus!" I rushed to him and put my hand on his chest. "You can't mean that. Whatever you saw; it's okay. It'll be okay."

He calmed under my touch and gently placed a kiss on my cheek.

I turned to Kol, but it was too late. He had already heeded his brother's demands and left. Instead, I found Rebekah looking at us.

"That temper of yours, it'll be the end of you, one day," she said before finally walking off.

"Are you gonna tell me what that was about?" I asked without turning around.

"He wants to kill me. He was conspiring with Davina against me!" he said.

I frowned. That anyone would kill their own blood was shocking to me, but I had accepted that Finn was twisted. I had seen the dynamic between Kol and Niklaus on a good day and couldn't believe that was what had been in his mind. "That can't be…"

"I saw it, Anna!"

"You saw a page, but there's a whole story you missed," I said.

Klaus groaned and I smirked, knowing I was right.

Rebekah emerged from where she had apparently been watching us. "So you'll listen to a hunter, but not to me," she scoffed.

"In case you haven't noticed, dear sister, she's one of us now," he said.

"Yes, which you still haven't explained," she said.

"I turned her," he shrugged. "She's mine."

I raised my eyebrows.

He rolled his eyes in response. "She's my… girlfriend?"

Rebekah looked as though she was about to make a snarky comment, but her moment was stolen by Kol who had decided to return. And he was pissed. He reached out his hands and rendered Rebekah unconscious to keep her from interfering while bringing Klaus to his knees. "I was making that dagger to protect myself!" Kol declared. "From you! I'm not the bad guy in this story!"

My heart ached as I watched blood pour from Klaus's mouth. I moved forward, in between them, to protect Klaus with my fangs barred and snarling. Kol switched his focus to me, but whatever magic he was projecting had no effect. I grabbed him by the throat and pinned him against the wall.

"Just kill me, then!" Kol shouted, but I didn't move.

"Let him go," Klaus growled from behind me.

I lowered him until his feet were on the ground and released him. I noticed the boy still looked scared and then remembered my fangs. "Sorry," I muttered as I retracted them.

"Kol, you idiot!" Klaus reprimanded. "You're my brother. I would never actually kill you."

"Just dagger me, repeatedly," he mumbled.

"I've daggered all of you!" Klaus cried, exasperated. "Each for your own good. If you don't agree with my motives, fine, but stop this drivel abut being singled out and unloved. You're a Mikaelsson; you're my blood and I need you by my side."

Kol's frowned deepened. "What does that even mean? You talk about family. Family this, family that. I haven't even earned the right to learn your secrets have I?"

"No, you haven't," Klaus agreed. "But it's not too late to prove yourself."

Kol then revealed that Finn agreed to lift the curse if he could attain some of Klaus's blood. But he wants Klaus to take Finn down because despite his promises, Finn can't heal him. He placed a hex on Kol, not a curse. I honestly did not know there was a difference in the two terms, but by the somber air, I took it to mean Kol was surely dead. He told us Finn would be in the bell tower of the St. Louis cathedral and then let Klaus back into his mind to find the spell.


	12. Chapter 12

He wasn't in the bell tower, though. All that was there was remnants of a spell – a location spell centered on, according to a runic tile, "baby."

"Baby?" Kol mused. "Shit. That's your secret, isn't it?"

"And now Finn knows where she is!" he growled and called Elijah to warn him.

"So what do we do now?" I asked, worried when it appeared that Finn was already at the house.

"We cut off Finn's power supply," Kol answered. "But I'm going to need some help. Something to channel. Rebekah and I aren't strong enough on our own."

Klaus nodded and took off, leaving me alone with the siblings where I was completely useless. At least he returned soon and with a bag full of dark artefacts. They weren't enough, though, and they couldn't break the connection until Klaus offered himself as a magical battery.

Which all seems to have been completely forgotten as Klaus sits outside of the fitting rooms in a boutique I never dreamed I could afford while I modeled dresses for him the very next day. "But what about Elijah? And Hope?" I kept trying to ask.

He kept shushing me. He answered only that they were fine, but wouldn't explain how he knew. "All in due time" easily becoming my least favorite phrase. "I like that one," he said.

I looked down. It was the eighth dress I had tried on and the shortest. It was blush colored and long-sleeved to make up for the hemline. I frowned. I liked to have my knives strapped to my thighs and hidden under the skirt. At least I could hide some in my sleeves.

"You won't need to fight. I've taken the highest security precautions," he said as though he were reading my thoughts.

I sighed, not happy with the situation, but it was a nice dress. "Good, I don't want to get any blood on it."

"Then you better change out of it," he said. "Because I have one last errand to run."

His last errand brought us to several wolf packs located around the city. One by one, Klaus asked the alphas to give up the moon rings Finn had forged for them. One by one, they refused. And one by one, they lost their heads. I held open a canvas tote as he placed each head inside. Though through some remnant of chivalry, he carried the bag for me between encampments until we finally reached the bayou where the crescent wolves lived. We found Jackson and Aiden and Klaus tossed the bag at their feet.

"A wedding present," he told them.

Jackson raised his eyebrows, noting the blood which had seeped through the bag.

"The heads of the wolf leaders who would not surrender their rings," he continued to explain.

"You brought me a bag of werewolf heads," Jackson responded, slowly.

"We don't want any witch sympathizers in the army meant to protect my daughter, now, do we?" Klaus said. "And get yourself cleaned up, it's your wedding day for gods' sake."

Back at the compound, things were insane. Klaus had pulled out all of the stops for this wedding. There was an eight-layer cake! I never imagined my wedding. Hell, I found it hard to imagine a relationship. I only had one boyfriend before Niklaus; romance and honesty aren't very conducive to the hunter lifestyle. But this was gorgeous. There was even to be a string quartet. I tried to appear unimpressed, but I think Klaus noticed. He was kind enough not to tease me about it, but kept me by his side and held my hand while he delegated tasks until I, myself, was given a task:

Camille entered the compound carrying Hope and escorted by Elijah. Elijah, obviously, was more than qualified to take care of and protect his niece, but I had the benefit of being impervious to certain magics and Klaus had asked me to keep an eye on Hope and Camille as well.

Everyone turned in their seats when Hayley entered. She looked absolutely gorgeous in the white, lace dress. I found myself reaching for Klaus's hand and was a bit appalled at myself for being so affected. Klaus didn't seem to mind though and grabbed my hand with his left, the far one, and placed his right arm around my shoulders.

"You'd look lovely in white," he whispered to me.

In response, I elbowed him and thankfully, he remained unfazed and merely chuckled.

In traditional New Orleans fashion, after the ceremony they bridal party and all the guests made their way through down Bourbon Street in a celebratory parade. I was actually grateful to be remaining behind with Camille and Hope. I hated crowds. They were dangerous places due to the lack of sight lines and the roaring noise. You could get away with murder in a jovial, drunken crowd quite easily. I would know; I had dusted a few vampires in just that way.

A human could have heard Klaus and Elijah arguing in the next room, but I tried my best to ignore them. I hadn't quite mastered managing the heightened sense and I was taking the protection detail very seriously. I needed to listen for threats.

Finally, Klaus returned to us, looking slightly distressed although he was doing his best to hide it.

"Would you like to hold her?" Camille asked.

Klaus smiled and stepped forward, but then stopped, not holding out his arms to take her.

She sighed. "I get it. You're scared, but you know the basics of developmental psych? Happy mom + happy dad = happy baby."

Klaus sighed and cautiously took Hope from her arms.

I had never seen him so happy. It took him a moment to relax, but when he did, I noticed that I had never seen him grin so wide. And when we danced together among the other guests and he twirled me around the dance floor, he confessed this was more than he could have ever hoped for. For the first time in centuries he felt like he had a family again.


End file.
